One of​ the biggest and most widely accepted ways of​ accepting payment online is​ to​ use Paypal. Anyone who has used Ebay is​ likely to​ have already come accross Paypal even if​ they haven't signed up for an​ account. Paypal allows the online merchant to​ accept instant payments from customers either directly from the customers Paypal funds or​ from a​ credit card. This combined with its high profile, and use by Ebay makes it​ a​ useful payment processor to​ the new marketer online.

Clickbank is​ preferred to​ Paypal by some vendors due to​ its built in​ affiliate program which also has many affiliates searching for products to​ sell for commissions.

Clickbank makes it​ easy to​ setup an​ affiliate program and pays your affiliates for you directly, and can also offer the instant downloads the same as​ Paypal. as​ it​ already has a​ huge army of​ affiliates and people making search scripts to​ find products in​ the Clickbank marketplace it​ seems to​ be the answer to​ all your online sales needs, but unfortunately Clickbank have made it​ difficult to​ sell more than one product, so you need another account each time you want to​ sell something, or​ all your products on one page for affiliates to​ send their potential clients to.

Another thing in​ Clickbanks favour is​ that they have recently started allowing payment from Paypal, so that makes the payment options more varied for your customers, and affiliate customers.

Clickbanks one drawback is​ that you can only sell digital products through its system, so if​ you want to​ sell physical products such as​ books etc. then you need to​ look elsewhere.

Another option is​ to​ use an​ online credit card processor such as​ 2 Checkout (AKA 2CO) which offers the user the ability to​ accept all kinds of​ credit cards, and is​ able to​ be "plugged into" many shopping cart scripts for use on websites. Although it​ offers no affiliate program itself, 2Checkout doesn't stop you using multi level affiliate scripts, unlike Paypal, and Clickbank which are limited in​ this respect. Where 2Checkout doesn't compare so favourably is​ in​ the fees charged for each transaction, but you do only pay a​ one off fee to​ get an​ account unlike most credit card processors which charge fees and a​ monthly or​ yearly membership fee.

These are just some of​ the choices available to​ the online marketer who wants to​ accept payments online, all have pros and cons, but you need to​ look at​ what you want to​ do, and choose one or​ two of​ these services to​ start selling your products online. Use the one which best fits your business model, and budget, you can always look at​ other ways to​ accept payment later, but these will get you started.